BEUKEMA: Jack-It Products emerges as outdoor industry stalwart

Michigan’s economy has a way of reaching out and affecting people one way or another. Brian Metry, 43, from Grosse Pointe is one person who has been affected by a slow Michigan economy.

“I lost all of my snow contracts through Chrysler during the auto collapse and had to close my landscaping business of 20 years,” Metry said.

That would be a financial disaster for anyone in Metry’s shoes. However, he turned a loss into a business of another kind.

“I always wanted to have products on the market and decided to go with fishing,” he said. His on-line company goes under the name, “Jack-it Products.” The name comes for a lure called Lure Jacket, still under development.

With six years of competitive bass fishing water under his boat, Metry designs baits for Jack-It. “I help with colors and tweak weights on some baits,” he said.

“I wanted a smaller crankbait with a lower profile with a little weight. This crank has the profile of a ½ oz., bait but is ¼ oz.,” he said.

Other baits include jerkbaits in three models; slow riser, suspending, and slow sinking model. The Jack-It lipless carnkbait has a large head-the largest on the market- “that helps to deflect weeds and other cover,” Metry said.

A crankbait called a Hydronic has a cavity in the diving bill that does a couple of things. “It helps get the bait into the strike zone quicker and stabilizes the swimming action while burning it,” Metry said.

“That bill cavity makes for less resistance when cranking because water passes through it.”

Other crankbaits in the Jack-It line include the Deep Runner 600 that dives to 18, the 800 diving to 20 plus feet, and the Predator with a unique bill design.

“It has a cut in the bill so when the bait comes to the end of its waddle, it rolls around the opposite of what it was. It has bug eyes that resemble a frogs,” he said.

Jerk baits like the “Jerk Money 120,” have a stronger bill that won’t break like other effective jerk baits. The top of the lure is flat, imitating Shad bait fish which is the most favorable bait fish to game fish.

To see Jack-It baits up close, Metry will have a booth at the Ultimate Fishing Show-Detroit, Jan.,10-13 (www.ultimatefishingshow.com) , at the Suburban Collection in Novi. Lakeside Tackle and KD Outdoors-with booth space at the show will have Jack-It baits in their booths.

Making their first appearance at the show is the well known and popular Fletcher’s Landing Resort in Alpena County.

Located on Fletcher Floodwater (Pond), the 11th largest inland lake in the state at 9,000 acres, Fletcher landing has 14 cabins for rent throughout the year.

A 14-foot aluminum boat and a 6 hp motor is available with cabin rental and the resort also offers a full bait and tackle shop. For more information call (517) 304-1411.

Dutch Fork Custom Lures from Claysville, Pennsylvania will bring their walleye spinnerbaits and their booth to the show.

These lures have transparent and semi-transparent blades, which allows them to be fished super slow and makes for some interesting color variation opportunities. Dutch Fork Custom Lures come with a quick-change clevis to make changing blades or lures a snap.

Ice anglers haven’t been left out. A large display of ice fishing shelters, augers, sleds, rods and reels, lures and other equipment along with retailers to sell it including Frank’s Great Outdoors of Linwood bringing two semi truck/trailers filled with everything ice fishing, along with a stacked lineup of ice fishing seminars.

Experienced staff personnel will answer questions and steer anglers in the right direction based on years of experience.

Normark’s “Ice Force” of Minnesota will make its first-ever appearance in Detroit. Normark’s top professionals will explain the concept of using a system of modern ice fishing gear – ice electronics, augers, shelters and accessories – as a unified component for ice fishing.

Angler’s Point Marine on Lake St. Clair is making it’s first appearance at UFD, and is bringing all the latest ice fishing gear along with a seminar series of its own.

Seminars and presenters lead off with the world’s best bass angler Kevin VanDam. Michigan’s Mark Zona will speak about smallmouth fishing.

Mark Martin and Mark Romanack have each been fishing walleyes for years. Individually, they’ll present educational seminars on how to catch “eyes.”

LanceValentine, founder of Walleye-101 will bring his Fishing Education Center to the show. He’ll be explaining electronics and how to use them.

With “virtual” being a common word these days, virtual fun for kids-grown up and youngsters- takes place on the Virtual Reality Simulator.

You’ll get the experience of what it’s like to throw a back roll on a wakeboard or hit a ski jump at 80 mph and fly through in the air.

The Hawg Trough, a mobile 5,000-gallon fish tank returns to UFD. The tank is stocked with fish and used as a seminar platform.

Angling experts provide live demonstrations of fishing technique throughout the show and the audience can actually see what’s taking place under the water.

Grillin’ Buddies, Mad Dog & Merrill (Mark Mathewson and Gary Merrill), are self-proclaimed “Grillologists,” who travel the country entertaining and educating backyard enthusiasts on the finer points of grilling cuisine.

Their seminars, cookbooks and videos show people how easy it is to be creative and to entertain in their own backyards. Grillin’ Buddies will appear all four days of the show.

While winter is just setting in and ice fishing hasn’t quite arrived, a visit to the Ultimate Fishing Show-Detroit will get you in the mood for fishing.

Besides, it’s a good place to be to learn more about fishing, talk and meet some of the pros you see on TV, and get acquainted with new equipment on the market.

Roger Beukema writes a weekly outdoors column for Journal Register Newspapers. Email him at dutchbeukema@comcast.net and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com.